Apple says iPhones are still available for sale in China

Apple Inc. said that both its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models are still available for sale in China in spite of an order stopping the sale due to alleged patent infringement.

"We appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month and as a result the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court," Apple told Reuters.

The notice banning the sale of two iPhone products in Beijing was posted on a Chinese government website.

The Chinese market is very important for the company as it drives more of its sale than any other region outside the United States. But in recent months, Apple has faced greater scrutiny in China, with suspension of both its iTunes movie service and iBooks service earlier this year.

BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis said these legal suspensions are a reminder that Apple is not immune to the scrutiny which has been faced by other US tech firms in the country, although it had experienced quite a number of favourable treatments in China.

IBTimes UK

"There's a variety of risks of having dependence on sales in China to Apple, and government intervention in whatever form is one of them," he said.

Last month Apple announced it would invest $1billion (RM4bil) in Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing, a move interpreted as an effort to strengthen its relationship with China.